Overview
- Ecuador’s prison authority SNAI said police discovered the bodies after the detonation of an explosive device outside the Machala facility.
- Authorities have opened an investigation, and forensic teams are conducting autopsies to determine how the prisoners died.
- Local media reported signs of asphyxiation and said a drone triggered the outside explosion to distract guards, a detail that remains unconfirmed.
- The Machala prison has recorded 44 killings in the past month, including a deadly riot in November that left dozens dead.
- At least 663 prisoners have been killed in Ecuador’s prisons since 2020, according to the IACHR, as President Daniel Noboa pursues a hardline campaign against organized crime.